Ursula von der Leyen condemns drone attacks on three commercial vessels in the Black Sea

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern on Tuesday, October 6, over drone attacks on three commercial vessels in the Black Sea, incidents that occurred on Monday and Tuesday in the territorial waters or exclusive economic zone of Romania and Bulgaria.

Two commercial vessels were hit on Tuesday in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, according to a message posted by von der Leyen on the X platform. The incidents occurred a day after a Turkish vessel carrying Ukrainian grain was hit and sunk off the coast of Romania.

The European Commission President emphasized that commercial vessels and civilian crews had become targets of attacks and that lives had already been lost in the Black Sea. She described the attacks on civilian vessels as “unacceptable.”

The exact circumstances of the incidents are still under investigation, but the development of the situation is considered extremely concerning. Ursula von der Leyen expressed the European Union’s full solidarity with Romania and Bulgaria, the two member states located on the Union’s eastern flank.